Readers share thoughts on down town traffic …

We have received many emails on the traffic situation in down town Ridgewood in the last several months and we wanted to share with our readers some thoughts.

1) Most readers thought that even though pedestrians have the right of way they should still look both ways and take into account basic traffic precautions .Lets face it no one would tell their kids to go play in traffic and we think rules of courtesy and common sense should be observed at all times.

2) Drivers should be aware that many of the stop streets in Ridgewood are set back from the cross streets and it is important for drivers to take time and inch out carefully into traffic because it can be very difficult too see both on coming traffic and pedestrians .

3) Many readers found the amount of pedestrian and vehicle accidents to be astonishing and evidence in itself that neither drivers or walkers are paying enough attention.

4) Stop signs mean STOP then proceed.

5) Swinging out wide in the opposite direction from the turn you are making is both bad driving and dangerous.

4) Drivers slow down and don’t tailgate, leave at least a car or two lengths between you and the person in front of you and always anticipate.

5) The Right of way does not alleviate you from paying attention or common courtesy.

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I look both ways before crossing the street, and WAIT until I am sure a car sees me before stepping into the street. The result it, sometimes I have 20 cars go by before I have a chance to cross the street. The walkers RIGHT OF WAY is ignored by the might is right drivers. People may just be walking out into traffic in desperation of being able to cross the street.

Drivers should stop rolling through stop signs and come to a full stop at a red light before making a right on red. At corner of Maple and Linwood drivers consistently make a right on red without stopping

This post is well put. I agree with the points made and have two more suggestions:1. The Village should conduct a traffic engineering study to determine ways to improve both vehicle and pedestian traffic flow and safety. 2. We should work to have our elected officials in Trenton work to pass more pedestrian friendly regulations. The law requring motorists to yield to pedestrians in NJ is VERY WEAK and dates back to a time when there were far fewer vehicles on the road.

Ridgewood has become too congested to place the blame fairly on either the Drivers or Pedestrians. Everyone needs to be aware of what’s going on around them and take precautions to keep themselves safe. One can’t always assume that a driver will stop, nor that a pedestrian won’t simply step out into the crosswalk. Cellphones, makeup, sipping coffee, eating a banana, reading the newspaper (ya can’t make this stuff up) are all distractions. Some of them will be fatal if either the driver or the pedestrian is inattentive.

I both walk and drive in Ridgewood – the number of times I have been ignored by a car far outnumber the number of times I have had to avoid a pedestrian. I wish everyone would get out of their cars and walk once and awhile, just to realize what it’s like to be a pedestrian. . .

So let’s save some money 8.42 and do away with crosswalks. Really, why have them? If the pedestrian has to wait until it’s all clear (which by the way is very rare unless you want to cross the road at 4am), then what is the point in having a crosswalk? Please tell me.

STOP THE SPEEDING.GET OFF THE CELL PHONES (including the police!!!!)MOMS, MOMS, MOMS…STOP PUSHING THE STROLLERS OUT IN FRONT OF YOU WHEN YOU’RE CROSSING THE STREET. BY THE TIME YOU CAN SEE THE SPEEDING CAR, YOU’RE CHILD IS HIT!!!PLEASE let’s all use common sense and cordial behavior.

8:35 am says “If the pedestrian has to wait until it’s all clear (which by the way is very rare unless you want to cross the road at 4am), then what is the point in having a crosswalk? Please tell me.” The answer to your question is that this is the very problem with the weak pedestrian laws in the State of NJ. THE PEDESTRIAN IS LEGALLY REQUIRED TO WAIT FOR A CLEARING IN TRAFFIC. If it means you have the wait for 20 cars to pass then that is what you have to do. Unless a motorist decides the be polite and stop for you. Unfortunetly being polite is not a legal requirement. But it is certaintly something we as individuals should practice in our daily lives!

I regularly encounter drivers who do not stop at the intersection of Broad & E Ridgewood(in the direction of Franklin)…Also, people walk into the street from between parked cars right into traffic and expect the car to stop – walk up to the crosswalk and cross there!

The only way to fix the problem is having traffic lights at crosswalks. Those against them claim that it will cause traffic jams. Without them, we will just continue to have accidents where half the folks blame the drivers and half the folks blame the pedestrians.